30 Stories of Conan & Ayumi: Heartfelt or Heartache?
by Melpomene-the-Tragic-Parody
Summary: IN PROGRESS: These are a collection of 30 stories around Conan Edogawa and Ayumi Yoshida in random order. / Sweet Ayumi has always loved intelligent Conan, but does Conan actually love her too? Or does he love someone else? / Might have some angst and AUs in later chapters. Criticism is welcome.
1. Walking Home

**DISCLAIMER: Case Closed/Detective Conan belongs to Gosho Aoyama. I, like everyone else on this fan fiction site, make no claims of owning it. I can come up with ideas, but I'm not a genius like him.**

**MAIN CHARACTERS: Conan Edogawa, Ayumi Yoshida**

**SECONDARY CHARACTERS: Ai Haibara, Genta Kojima, Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya, Ran Mouri**

**PLOT SUMMARY: The Detective Boys are walking home together. Along the way, Ayumi enjoys watching Conan smile, but ponders over its reasons.**

**RATING: K**

**GENRE: Friendship/Romance**

* * *

**Conan Edogawa &amp; Ayumi Yoshida**

_**Walking Home**_

* * *

She knew he didn't want to engage in their conversation. Like most days, his hands were casually stuffed into his pockets and his cute face was leaned up towards the sky. His sharp, intelligent blue eyes were distant, gazing on at something she couldn't see, with his lips puckered and his brows narrows.

She wondered what he thought about when he went off into the distance like this, inattentive to the jokes and games. He only ever brought himself back down to earth whenever Mitsuhiko tried to stump him with a riddle, and only spared a few seconds to correctly solve the riddle, leaving Genta and Mitsuhiko disappointed once more that they couldn't outwit him.

They all stopped with the crowd and waited to cross the street. Haibara stood between Ayumi and Conan, her passive expression unwavering as the cars sped past them, blowing back their hair with their velocity. Ayumi fixed the strap of her bag as she waited with the others for the light to change color.

A minute later, the light changed color and they continued on their journey to their homes.

"Conan-kun?" Ayumi asked after a while. "Are you alright? You haven't spoken since Mitsuhiko-kun's riddle."

Conan's relaxed posture tensed as his blue eyes snapped towards Ayumi and the others. "Ah," he said nervously. "I—uh, I'm fine, really!" he added in a cheery voice, rubbing the back of his head anxiously. "I was just thinking about… about…" His lips trembled as he tried to think of an answer. "—about the next camping trip that Hakase's taking us on this Saturday. He-he!"

Haibara sighed and shook her head, the hint of an amused smile gracing her ever passive face.

The very mention of the camping trip excited Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko greatly, and they immediately began chattering about what they wanted to do when they went camping. Haibara occasionally offered a comment or remark, whether to correct an assumption or to explain a fact that the three other children didn't know. Ayumi laughed and teased with the boys as they walked along the sidewalk, but after a while, she began to notice that Conan had gone quiet again, this time, with his hands resting behind his head. His expression was serene as he gazed across the blue sky above, a faint smile turning the corner of his lips upwards.

Ayumi liked Conan's smile. She was smart enough to know and understand that Conan was more mature than all of them—besides Haibara—and it showed in his face. It was obvious in his sharp, focused eyes, his literate speech patterns, his calm and ever resourceful abilities, and his leadership qualities that kept them all out of too much trouble. He wasn't like the other boys she knew, who were always so eager to go out and play. Conan was content with reading and learning advanced school work.

A pale pink flush flooded across Ayumi's cheeks as she turned away, not wanting Conan to catch her staring. However, she immediately fell under the gaze of Haibara and turned red. When they finally came to the crossroads where Genta and Mitsuhiko departed for their homes, Ayumi was left alone with Haibara and Conan as they walked her towards her home.

"So, Edogawa-kun," Haibara finally said. "I need you to come to Hakase's house later."

Conan huffed. "What for?" he asked suspiciously.

"Another test," Haibara said, sounding amused. "Why else would I ask you to come?"

Conan perked up but immediately caught sight of Ayumi between himself and Haibara. Ayumi's eyes widened in surprise at the expression on Conan's face. His eyes were glowing and his face was flushed with excitement as he turned away from Ayumi and Haibara, gazing up at the sky with renewed joy. Ayumi couldn't recall ever seeing him so happy before. What test could Haibara give him that could put him in such a state?

Ayumi gazed back and forth between the two children on either side of herself. Conan's face was alit with happiness, his eyes gleaming brightly and a slow grin widening on his face. Then there was Haibara, her expression smug as she proudly held up her head while she walked. What was it that they knew that she didn't?

"Conan-kun!"

Conan stopped in his tracks and whirled around as a tall, beautiful teenage girl with long dark hair, also wearing a blazer uniform from the Teitan high school, ran towards him with an eager expression on her face. It was Ran Mouri.

"Ran-neechan!" Conan called back, waving his hand.

Ran stopped in front of them. "Hello, Ayumi-chan, Ai-chan," she greeted them cheerfully. "Did you have a good day at school?"

Ayumi grinned at her. "We learned something new today in class!" she replied eagerly. "Right, Conan-kun?"

Conan hesitated before turning up to Ran. His glowing face had relaxed to an innocent, childlike expression as he nodded his head helpfully, offering a cute smile that made Ayumi's heart flutter in her chest.

"That's great!" Ran said approvingly before turning to Conan. "I have to stop at the store to buy ingredients for dinner tonight. Wanna help me, Conan-kun?"

Conan turned pink under her gaze as he nodded. "Of course, Ran-neechan," he said, faintly breathless. He turned towards Haibara. "I'll stop by later."

With that, Conan left with Ran. Ayumi watched their retreating figures chat as walked in the opposite direction of herself and Haibara. Conan said something that caused Ran to laugh, and even from this distance, Ayumi could see that he was blushing.

"Well, I suppose that I should walk you home then," Haibara said, shrugging her shoulders. "You shouldn't walk by yourself."

"What about you, Ai-chan?" Ayumi asked with a hint of worry, glancing back to where Conan and Ran stood, waiting to cross the street. He was smiling at the older girl, and even when she turned away, his expression never changed. Something dropped in Ayumi's stomach.

"Does—does Conan-kun like Ran-oneesan?" Ayumi asked hesitantly.

Haibara studied her before saying, "What do you think?"

Ayumi thought to herself, and she couldn't understand the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Though she loved Ran as though she truly were an older sister, whenever she was around, Conan always seemed to be a bit fixated on her, unless there was mystery to solve. When it came to Ran, Ayumi knew that he cared deeply for her. That was impossible not to notice.

Ayumi hung her head. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ai-chan," she said as they reached her street. She ran off to her apartment complex, leaving Haibara by herself on the sidewalk.

Haibara shook her head. '_Hey, Kudo-kun, at this rate, you'll end up hurting another girl who loves you_,' she thought to herself. 'For someone intelligent, you can be so dense.'

And with that thought, she started on her way home to get the prototype pill for the shrunken detective. The shrunken scientist may not care much about Shinichi Kudo's love life, but she did care about Ayumi's feelings.

She didn't deserve any heartache.

* * *

**This story is the first of several one-shot stories, and some of them might be connected to others, but out of order. They will all be mixed up, and some are going to be completely AU, but I'll go ahead and give notes on which story is related to another. Otherwise, you'll know that they are just one-shots alone.**

_**Reviews and criticism is welcomed**_**.**

—**MELPOMENE-THE-TRAGIC-PARODY****, signing out.**


	2. Lunchtime Squabbles

**DISCLAIMER: Case Closed/Detective Conan belongs to Gosho Aoyama. I, like everyone else on this fan fiction site, make no claims of owning it.**

**MAIN CHARACTERS: Ayumi Yoshida, Conan Edogawa**

**SECONDARY CHARACTERS: Ai Haibara, Genta Kojima, Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya, Hiroshi Agasa**

**PLOT SUMMARY: Sometimes, what's on your plate doesn't always go in your mouth. In some ways it's funny, but in others, it's dangerous.**

**RATING: K**

**GENRE: Humor/Friendship**

* * *

**Conan Edogawa &amp; Ayumi Yoshida**

_**Lunchtime Squabbles**_

* * *

The Detective Boys licked at their cones of ice cream as they walked into the park with Professor Agasa. Ayumi hummed happily as she skipped next to Mitsuhiko and Genta while Haibara and Conan hovered near the back of the group, both looking extremely bored. As soon as they had reached the playground, Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko had already finished their ice creams and were ready to start playing.

Professor Agasa pushed the three little children on the roundabout while the teenagers-turned-children remained on the bench, patiently finishing their own ice creams (or in Conan's case, trying not to swallow the entire treat whole) while watching the other children having their fun.

"Have you had any improvements?" Conan asked quietly as he finished munching on what was left of the ice cream cone.

"No change," Haibara said. "It's only been two weeks since your last transformation. You would think that, after all this time, you would have strengthened your patience."

Conan's expression was deadpanned. "_Oi_, _Oi_."

Haibara smirked and took out her magazine while Conan sighed. Ten minutes later, Professor Agasa joined the two of them on the bench while the other children went to play on the swings. He found Haibara flipping through her magazine and Conan texting on his phone with Heiji Hattori, who was apparently at the dentist's in Osaka, which is why he couldn't talk. It was a wasted effort to get them to play with the others.

Genta and Mitsuhiko took turns pushing Ayumi on the swing, played tag when they grew tired of pushing each other, tried to guess people's profession by their clothing, and pointed out shapes in the clouds above. It was fun while it lasted, but eventually Ayumi began to feel sad that Haibara and Conan were left out of the fun. She watched the two of them with their blank, passive faces, and finally came to a decision.

"Conan-kun, do you want to play hide and seek?" Ayumi asked as she ran up to them. She turned to Haibara. "And you, Ai-chan? Please?"

Conan sighed as he glanced up from his cellphone. As he about to say no, he caught the look on Ayumi's face: sweet, innocent, and pleading like a cute puppy. His heart melted.

There was no point in fight that, was there?

He sent Heiji a final text and tucked his cellphone into his pocket. "Alright," he said, hopping off the bench. "You coming, Haibara?"

Haibara smirked over her magazine. "Maybe later," she said, before turning back to whatever she was reading. Conan shook his head and ran off with Ayumi and the others while Professor Agasa sat with Haibara. For another hour, they played hide and seek (Conan finding everyone easily by guessing their most likely locations, which took away most of the fun) and after a while, their stomachs began to rumble with hunger.

Professor Agasa took them back home, and gave them a riddle to solve while he prepared their lunch with Haibara's help. The Detective Boys groaned. Why did it always have to be a lame one? Solve the riddle and they would get their lunch quickly. They were all hungry and once they heard the riddle, they began to spout out their theories on how it could be solved, lame or not.

Well, Conan figured it out in seconds (but it was for a good reason, which is why the other children weren't too bothered) and now they were devouring the lunch the Agasa had prepared for them: Yakitori grilled chicken, fried fish, soup, a bowl of rice for each of them, different delicious sauces, and a few boiled eggs. Genta was practically inhaling his rice and eggs.

Ayumi sighed. "Genta-kun!" she said reproachfully. "Slow down! You'll choke!"

Genta took a moment to breathe. "Rice and eggs couldn't choke me," he said proudly, smiling at his half-eaten bowl of rice.

"It's also not running anywhere," Mitsuhiko said with a laugh. Then he noticed the hungry look on Genta's face and he sweat dropped. "You're _not_ getting my bowl."

Professor Agasa chuckled. "Now, now, children, there's plenty of food," he said. "Just enjoy your lunches. And don't forget to chew."

"_Hai!_" the children said eagerly as he went off to make tea.

Genta went back to his wild eating. Haibara probably ate at the slowest pace, since she was eating and reading at the same time. Mitsuhiko and Ayumi both stared at Conan, who was almost eating as quickly as Genta, except grains of rice and grease were slowly plastering themselves onto his face. Conan didn't even seem to notice.

"Uh, Conan-kun, take it easy," Mitsuhiko said cautiously. "You'll make yourself sick."

Conan hovered over his bowl, glancing up with surprise. "Huh?"

He caught onto their staring and turned bright red, but before he could protest, his stomach let out a loud rumble, as if it were a ravaging monster begging for more food.

"And I thought Genta-kun was hungry," Ayumi said with wide eyes.

"Uh, sorry," Conan said sheepishly, resting his bowl down onto the table. "I didn't have a lot of breakfast this morning. Oji-san rushed Ran-neechan and me out of the house early to go gambling. _He-he_."

"That's not an excuse," Ayumi said disapproving. She left her seat, picked up a napkin from the table, and sat down next to Conan before he could protest.

Conan tensed in surprise as Ayumi cleaned his face with the napkin, his eyes wide behind his glasses. Streaks of red tinged his cheeks at her closeness, and once she was done, she leaned back and smiled sweetly at him.

"There," she said happily. "That's better."

"Uh…" Conan was pinker than usual. "T-Thank you, Ayumi."

"You're welcome," Ayumi said cheerfully. She turned pink as she plucked up her courage, and then she leaned forward and planted a small kiss on his cheek. "I'm going to help _Hakase_ with the tea."

With that, she hopped off the couch and skipped off to the kitchen where Professor Agasa was busying himself with the tea and healthy snacks that Haibara encouraged him to eat. Conan stared after her, slightly deadpanned and blushing furiously, before smiling to himself. He hadn't even noticed he was eating like a pig. Oh, if Ran were here, he wouldn't hear—

Conan froze as his gaze fell on Genta and Mitsuhiko. Their faces were red as beets, their eyes were narrowed, and a low growl rumbled from their throats. Conan sweat dropped at the sight of them.

_Uh-oh_, he thought to himself, panicked. _Tell me they aren't jealous… again_…

But that wasn't the case.

"Uh, Haibara, a little help," he said weakly, but Haibara only spared him a glance before turning back to her magazine. If anything, Conan's next sweat drop was bigger than the last. Eyeing the two angry boys carefully, he quickly debated how long it would take to run to the door and down the street for safety.

* * *

**And that is chapter two, done and uploaded.**

**Last chapter, I ended on a bit of a morose note, so I thought a funny one would be better, but unfortunately, comedy really isn't my thing.**

**Some of the funniest parts of the show are when Ayumi shows her affection to Conan and then Genta and Mitsuhiko grow jealous because of it, so it just seemed right to add that in here.**

—**MELPOMENE-THE-TRAGIC-PARODY****, signing out.**


	3. Sleeping

**DISCLAIMER: Case Closed/Detective Conan belongs to Gosho Aoyama. I, like everyone else on this fan fiction site, make no claims of owning it.**

**MAIN CHARACTERS: Ran Mouri, Hiroshi Agasa, Ayumi Yoshida**

**SECONDARY CHARACTERS: Conan Edogawa, Ai Haibara, Mrs. Yoshida**

**PLOT SUMMARY: The Detective Boys fall asleep at Agasa's house, so the Professor calls their parents to pick them up.**

**RATING: K+**

**GENRE: General**

* * *

**Conan Edogawa &amp; Ayumi Yoshida**

_**Sleeping**_

* * *

Professor Hiroshi Agasa quietly closed the door as Genta and Mitsuhiko left his home, both of them asleep in the arms of their parents. He glanced towards the couch where the three remaining Detective Boys were huddled together, fast asleep.

The old professor chuckled lightly to himself. Conan lay in between the two girls, snoring lightly with his glasses crookedly perched on his nose. His body angled itself towards Haibara, who was sleeping on her side to face Conan, with her arm perched under her head as if it were a pillow. Then there was little Ayumi. While the teenagers-turned-children were sleeping vertically parallel to each other, with their feet hanging off the edge of the couch, little Ayumi was sleeping horizontally, using Conan's waist as a pillow.

Those children had had a long, busy day. Fishing had not been an easy matter for any of them. They'd managed to fall asleep before they could eat dinner, and yes, that included Genta. Agasa didn't have the heart to wake them when they were so blissfully lost in their own endless dreams, so he called their parents to come pick them up instead. Mitsuhiko's mother had arrived first, then Genta's father. Ayumi's mother was already on her way, and Ran said she'd come for Conan since her father was out playing Mahjong with a few of his friends.

Professor Agasa fixed himself a cup of tea as he waited for Mrs. Yoshida and Ran to arrive. He gazed down at Conan and Haibara, seeing them both as children with the phantoms of their former selves shrouding their sleeping forms into a ghostly shadow. Shiho Miyano and Shinichi Kudo were curled up together, both unaware of the world around them, yet the professor could not help but worry about what went on in their heads. From all they had seen in their lives, he could not tell if their dreams were sweet, or terrible nightmares. Their faces held no traces of fear, neither did it display any passive contentment or happiness.

The doorbell finally rang.

Professor Agasa sipped at his tea as he went to open the door, where Ran and Mrs. Yoshida were waiting patiently. The night air was chilly, and the two women gratefully entered the warmth of the professor's home.

"I hope the both of you are well," he said cheerfully as he led them towards the children. "They're over here. I didn't have the heart to wake them."

Ran's sparkling blue eyes wandered past the professor to the couch, where the children were sleeping. She clasped her fingers across her lips, wanting to laugh when she saw Conan obliviously sandwiched between the two little girls, his mouth gaping open in a cute little 'O', with light snores escaping him with every calm breath. It was an adorable sight to behold.

Mrs. Yoshida sighed fondly and scooped up her daughter into her arms. Little Ayumi groaned lightly and opened her groggy eyes to stare up at her mother. "Huh? Okaa-san?"

"It's alright, Ayumi," her mother said. "We're going home now."

Ayumi sat up in her mother's arms, rubbing her eyes with clumsy hands before resting her head on her mother's shoulder. She could hear the voices of her mother, the Professor, and Ran Mouri, which caused her to open her eyes a little wider to gaze around the room, wondering where she was.

She blinked her eyes rapidly against the brightness of the florescent lights above and her eyes meet a sight that caused her heart to thud unevenly in her chest. Conan and Haibara were curled up against each other, so closely that Haibara's curly auburn waves were interwoven with Conan's dark cowlick locks. Haibara's expression was peaceful, while Conan's was tinged with discomfort and unease. The sight made Ayumi frown with a hint of confusion. Why were they sleeping?

The color of the walls, the couch, the voices around her. She was in the professor's house. She began to remember why she was there: she had been with the other Detective Boys and the Professor on a camping trip, and they had only just got back. Must have fallen asleep…

"Well, now, we'd better be off," Ayumi's mother said gently. "Thank you, Agasa-hakase, for taking care of Ayumi. I hope she wasn't any trouble."

The Professor chuckled. "Not at all, Yoshida-san," he replied courteously.

Ayumi blinked as Ran Mouri's face came into view. Ran's long dark hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned down and scooped the sleeping boy up into her arms, cradling him close to her chest with gentle affection, rocking him lightly as she straightened up, turning back to the Professor and Mrs. Yoshida.

Conan squirmed around in Ran's arms until his head was resting on her shoulder, his glasses twisted to the point where Ayumi thought it would fall off of his face. Ran sighed and shook her head, her blue eyes twinkling as she removed Conan's glasses and tucked it into his pocket without causing him any discomfort. Ayumi found herself smiling; Conan was cuter without his glasses, especially when asleep.

"Ran?"

As Mrs. Yoshida turned towards the doorway, Ayumi turned in her arms and placed her head on her shoulder once more. Her eyes glanced up at the sound of Conan's voice, thinking that he had woken up, but once her eyes fell on his face, she realized that he was still sleeping.

"Ran." His voice was softer as he curled up closer to Ran, nuzzling his head against her neck, his soft, small lips curving upwards into a contented smile. His uneasy expression melted away completely, and for the first time that night, he seemed… peaceful. Ayumi thought it was odd that he would call for Ran without an honorific. The way he spoke was different to how he usually sounded. Ran didn't seem to think anything was wrong about it.

"It seems Edogawa-kun is most comfortable in your arms, Mouri-san." Ran glanced down as Haibara hopped off the couch, bleary eyed, and yawned. She smirked up at the sleeping form in Ran's arms, as if thinking of an amusing secret. "I suppose I'll prepare for bed. Goodnight, everyone." And with that, she walked towards the stairs that would lead to the bathroom.

Ran stared after Haibara's retreating figure before looking down at the little boy in her arms, carefree and oblivious. She smiled fondly.

"Well, we should get going," she finally said. "I have to prepare dinner for Otou-san. And the driver's waiting outside."

After exchanging farewells, Mrs. Yoshida and Ran left with the weary children. Ayumi stared dreamily at Conan as they stepped out into the chilly night to their separate taxis. The last image Ayumi had of Conan and Ran was that of Conan finally stirring in Ran's arms. Ran, unaware that he was awake now, continued to chat pleasantly with Mrs. Yoshida.

Conan turned pink once he realized where he was, but then he smiled and closed his eyes and leaned his head against Ran's shoulder, enjoying being close to her. Her nearness was a clock of warmth against the nippiness of night. Ran unconsciously held him closer as she said goodbye to Mrs. Yoshida, who nodded and started to walk towards her taxi.

Ran opened the door as Conan leaned his head up to stare at her. Ran caught his eyes and beamed down at him soundlessly, brushing his locks out of his eyes, where his glasses remained absent. The both of them finally entered their taxi, unaware that Ayumi was still staring curiously at them. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but her dreams were only that of watching Conan playing football by himself in a park, with a pretty little girl with sparkling blue eyes watched him with a fond smile on her lips.

* * *

**And that was chapter three. It wasn't exactly an Ayumi-Conan centric story, but I'll leave it as it is.**

**Thought: I didn't really say it outright, but do you think Ran knows the truth about Conan in this chapter?**

**This was just completely different from my original idea, but I might use that one for a later chapter, because it had nothing to do with sleeping. I just re-watched **_**BBC Sherlock**_**'s "The Reichenbach Fall", so my mood was down. I was watching "The Empty Hearse" to liven my mood.**

—**MELPOMENE-THE-TRAGIC-PARODY, signing out.**


	4. As Innocent As A Promise

**DISCLAIMER: Case Closed/Detective Conan belongs to Gosho Aoyama. I, like everyone else on this fan fiction site, make no claims of owning it.**

**MAIN CHARACTERS: Conan Edogawa**

**SECONDARY CHARACTERS: Ayumi Yoshida, Ai Haibara, Genta Kojima, Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya**

**PLOT SUMMARY: The difference between Shinichi Kudo and Conan Edogawa was that only one of them could truly live.**

**RATING: T**

**GENRE: Romance/Hurt/Comfort**

* * *

**Conan Edogawa &amp; Ayumi Yoshida**

**As Innocent as a Promise**

* * *

He was well aware of what he was getting into, and the sort of hurt it would leave in his wake. After all, there was only one truth. He had gained many regrets over the course of those few years, many that he learned from, and many that he wished he could change.

He regretted following those men in black and losing his identity to the body of a young child, hidden from the world behind a veil of innocence and lies. He should have known it would take longer than a week to find those who had turned his life over anew, and to find a cure for his "condition." In his desperation, he had forgotten, or subconsciously ignored, exactly what he would leave behind when he finally solved this one case.

He knew that there was Ran, and all the hurt he put her through. He could never forget those days of watching those crystalline tears fall, of her brilliant blue eyes hiding away that pain and lose burrowing into her soul, of the anger in her voice, of the hope in her heart. He found himself fighting more to keep her safe, away from his secret, but how long would she take the ache of his deceptions? He promised her he would return, dead or alive, but in those passing years, he was not certain if he could keep it, not when the line between them was widening ever so slowly.

There was Haibara, and the net of honesty and secrecy that held them together. She was still an enigma he pondered to solve and to protect. She was as close as a friend and a sister, though those words would never be spoken amongst them. He had promised himself that he would end the Organization's reign of terror, avenge her sister, and free her from those fears that froze her heart from the world. Every day, he wondered if he were any closer to his goal.

There were those kids, those child detectives. He had initially thought of them as a nuisance, always poking their noses where they shouldn't have been and finding both mysteries and danger, all wrapping up in a neat little bow. But he understood their hearts, their candid and guiltless intentions, and their willingness to stand for what was right, good, and honest. Their pure hearts were dancing lights around him, annoying when he was in a darker mood, endearing when their persistence won through.

In Genta, he saw a fighter, someone who was brash, unaware and outspoken, maybe always hungry, but with a kind heart and dependable spirit. In Mitsuhiko, he was a rational and intelligent mind, who was hard-working and respectable, and perhaps the person he would consider to be the leader of the group when he was gone, had Genta not already adopted the title. And in Ayumi, he saw innocence, a gentle fire that burned brightly in the darkness, whose optimism was everlasting in every situation, even when her doubts threatened to overwhelm her. He had grown to care deeply for each of them, held their safety with a high regard, and fought the sadness that would eventually turn its way to them when it was time to leave.

Whether they were at school, as the professor's house, on an outing, or just playing together, he knew he had to think of it at some point. Conan Edogawa was not truly a real person. He was not born into this world as other children had, nor did he think and speak like them. He was a stolen life, one that should never have existed. He was the facade masking away the truth of Shinichi Kudo, a soul that should have found death's door so very long ago. He lived on borrowed time, borrowed time which left their scars and imprints on the hearts and minds of others, both friends and enemies. For Shinichi Kudo to live, Conan Edogawa had to die.

That was the one truth of the matter. Neither could truly live with the other present in their world.

His promises had been made with good intent. Return to Ran. Stop the Organization. Protect Haibara. And the last one nearly broke his heart. Amongst five children, sitting in a park, he realized only too late, that he make a promise he couldn't possibly keep.

"We'll all stay best friends forever, right?" Ayumi said urgently, her hands balled into hopeful yet trembling fists, and her eyes glowing with her childlike innocence. "The Detective Boys, always together?"

"Of course!" Genta spoke up, grinning at the others with equal vigor.

"Nothing could tear us apart!" Mitsuhiko added proudly.

Haibara folded her arms and gave Conan a calm stare. "Isn't that so, Edogawa-kun?" she asked. He could see it there, that amused melancholy in her eyes, and his answer had been quick, without thinking.

"Yeah," he said. That was all. It took one word to seal a promise, and realization to shatter it entirely. It shattered as Ayumi engulfed him into an eager hug, then Haibara, and then the other boys. For only a second, he was shell-shocked. How he could he promise to stay when he was fighting to leave. Haibara's eyes never waved, reminding him of the trap he threw himself into.

He should have known better.

Days transformed into weeks, then months, then years. With those secrets and lies, he'd learned to perfect his own poker face, and it was a subtle reminder that chasing Kaitou Kid had its benefits. The weight of the world pressed down on him as it had Atlas in those Greek myths, yet his face never betrayed the sentiments of his heart.

No promise had been broken, yet none had been fulfilled.

He walked along the edge of a blade, careful never to tilt one way too far. He soon understood why Haibara's heart was encased in ice: it was easier to mask the agony if no one knew the contents of your heart. He'd seen too many tears shed and blood spilled. He only sought truth and justice, and was now shrouded in lies and mystery.

And eventually, it all came to an end.

It ended when the darkness fell and truth came to light. It ended with a bullet to the heart and a stone cold body lowered into a coffin. It ended when the ice protecting his heart shattered like glass and allowed him to bleed. It ended when he was numb and free, but unable to breathe as every dagger of reality pierced through its skin. In Haibara, he had kept his promise, and now she was free of the danger which ruled her entire life. At least he kept one promise, whereas two could never be fulfilled.

He lowered the bouquet of red and white lilies, held together by a red ribbon, on the tombstone set before him. He never did have a chance to return to her, did he? Shinichi's eyes were void of tears. His body moved on its own accord, breathing, eating, and walking. His soul wept within him, for a love he'd lost. It turned away in shame, at the promise that he been broken.

He had been given a choice, to decide his entire future, and maybe he had chosen wrongly. His reasons to be Shinichi had vanished with Ran's last breath. He could live as Conan, with a new life and friends who'd never leave him.

And finally, there was Ayumi. She had grown into the form of a lovely young woman, whose love for him was clearer than crystal. He had seen that spark blaze out into flames during those passing years, and he had been mesmerized as any other youth around her. Her spirit was pure, and it radiated for all the world to see. Her eyes gleamed with the love in her soul, love she intended to share with him. He would lie if he said he didn't love her, and he would lie if he said he'd love her forever. He wouldn't keep another promise based off another falsehood. He wouldn't accept her kisses, knowing that, in his heart, he would always desire the warmth of another in his arms. He wouldn't let that light burn out with his regrets.

He wouldn't let Conan steal another life. So he broke his final promise and took the bitter cure that set his record straight, and Conan disappeared without a trace to his name, once and for all. There were no words of farewell or any sign to seal any ties to his former friendships. There were no sentiments towards every adventure they had been through together. And there were no intentions of return, which crushed Ayumi's heart, and that pure love burned to ashes. They scattered in the wind, showering the newly found form which rose from what was left, and Shinichi walked away a new man, too different to ever have been that young boy who chased down those men that day. He was a man who had seen and felt too much to ever truly stay with her. He could never love her.

Broken hearts came with broken promises. He should have known there was nothing as innocent as a promise. Only children were that naïve. That was the only truth.

* * *

**And that was chapter four.**

**It's been too long since that last post. Too many ideas, too little time to really write them down. Terribly sorry about that. This chapter wasn't much. Just a random story off the top of my head.**

—**MELPOMENE-THE-TRAGIC-PARODY, signing out.**


	5. Song of My Heart, Part One

**DISCLAIMER: Case Closed/Detective Conan belongs to Gosho Aoyama. I, like everyone else on this fan fiction site, make no claims of owning it.**

**MAIN CHARACTERS: Ayumi Yoshida, Conan Edogawa**

**SECONDARY CHARACTERS: Ai Haibara, Genta Kojima, Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya, Hiroshi Agasa, Suburu Okiya, Masumi Sera**

**MINOR CHARACTERS: Azusa Enomoto**

**PLOT SUMMARY: As a project for a Talent Show, the Detective Boys have one month to compose a small drama and song.**

**RATING: K+**

**GENRE: Friendship/Romance**

* * *

**Conan Edogawa &amp; Ayumi Yoshida**

_**Song of My Heart, Part One**_

* * *

"…for twenty-five percent of your grade," said Akimoto-sensei, the music teacher, as she wrote on the blackboard. "You'll divide into groups of five, and you'll be graded on the originality and quality of your performance. Now, remember, everyone must participate, and if anyone within your group is not contributing, please come directly to me."

The teacher finally finished writing the guidelines on the blackboard. "Is that clear? Now, go choose who will be in your groups, and I'd prefer if you'd give your group a name as well. You have ten minutes. Understood?"

"_Hai!_" chorused the rest of the class, and their babbling voices bouncing off the walls as they decided where they would go, except for one group in the corner.

"Well, this is easy," said Genta, turning in his seat to face his four best friends. "There are five of us already, and we already have a name."

Ayumi nodded happily as Mitsuhiko wrote their names and group name down on a piece of paper and hurried up to Akimoto-sensei, who accepted the paper without surprise. Frankly, she saw it coming the second the class broke apart to form their groups.

Mitsuhiko reviewed the notes he had taken. "So, we have to compose a song, write our own music, and perform it in Beika Park in one month."

"And it has to have a short drama as well," Conan added, resting his chin on top of his hand, looking utterly bored. '_Ah, what a waste. We didn't have this back in my_ day.' Then he added, with a hint of annoyance, '_I hate going through middle school again_.'

So many years had passed since Shinichi had become Conan Edogawa, and the Organization had not yet been taken down, though they had made extreme progress in taking down three of their bases in Japan, which had only thrown them further underground. While the FBI knew of his and Haibara's true identities now and had made good use of their skills in the past, they were currently somewhere in China, taking down another base, and thought it best that Conan and Haibara would best remain in Japan, for their own safety, though they remained in close contact.

And it was the most boring safety Conan had ever experienced. He loathed the waiting and suspense, and having no way to solve it. He settled for going back to middle school as a good enough distraction.

"So, first we decide on what our drama's about, and that'll make writing the song easier!" Ayumi said.

Genta frowned. "But what are we going to write about?" Then he perked up. "How about—"

"If you say eel on rice, Kojima-kun, then the answer is no," Haibara said coolly. The others chuckled as Genta pouted and lowered his head.

"Well, we have a month to figure it all out," Conan said, stilling sound bored.

"You can't take an entire month," Haibara replied, folding her arms and starting out the window.

"I know that!" Conan protested.

"How about we write a fairy tale!" Ayumi asked excitedly. "There can be a princess and a knight!"

Mitsuhiko, Genta, and Conan sweat-dropped. '_A romance?_' they all thought dismally.

"Or it can be a murder mystery!" Mitsuhiko suggested.

"I don't want to sing about a murder," Haibara stated. Ayumi nodded in agreement. "What about you, Edogawa-kun?"

Conan perked up. "Huh?"

"That's right, Conan! We can't plan this by ourselves!" Genta said, loudly enough to earn a _'shh!'_ from the desk opposite him. "He-he. _Gomen_."

Conan sighed. "Tch!"

Even after the music class was over, and they went to their other classes for the rest of the day, they still hadn't decided on what they wanted to do for the play. As the bell rang for dismissal, and they poured out into the courtyard, they were hung up over it—well, most of them were.

Conan scrolled through his phone, his uniform jacket slung over his shoulder with his satchel bag. It had been two entire days since Jodie's last phone call. The only recent numbers in his log were from Masumi Sera, Ran, Wataru, Miwako, and Mitsuhiko. He stuffed his phone back into his pocket and followed the Detective Boys down the street. They finally made it to Café Poirot, ordered their meals, and sat at the table nearest the window.

"I still say it should be a mystery," Mitsuhiko inputted. "I'm sure other groups would go with a fairy tale theme."

"Perhaps it could be a tragedy," Haibara suggested, turning through her magazine, but glancing up to see the one nearest the window. "Like Romeo and Juliet, two lovers who are tragically torn from each other by fate's design, doomed never be together by the forces around them."

'_Oi, oi_,' Conan thought, sweat-dropping. '_Why are you looking at ME?_'

"Eh… that would be too depressing to work with," Mitsuhiko said nervously.

Their orders finally arrived, at the hands of Azusa Enomoto herself. "Here we are," she said, resting the trays down on the table. "It's been a while since I've seen you all here."

"Azusa-san!" Conan turned around and smiled at her. "I though the manager didn't serve the clients," he said teasingly.

Azusa giggled. "Well, one of the employees is home with the flu, so I'm helping out. I honestly don't mind. I started off waiting tables, after all." She smiled and took a step back. "What are you all working on?"

"A project for our music class," Ayumi explained. "In one month, our school is hosting a talent show, and since our homeroom teacher is also the music teacher, we have to do something music related."

"We're supposed to write a small play, and compose a song," Mitsuhiko added.

"But we can't think of anything," Genta concluded, diving into his bowl of eel.

"Knowing you lot, I'm sure you'll feel differently tomorrow," Azusa said encouragingly. "You'll have plenty of time to figure out what you want. It doesn't all have to be decided today."

Heartened by her words, and their stomachs full of food, they felt better after leaving and parting for their separate homes, determined to come up with more ideas after a good long night of rest. Conan signed and trudged up the steps to Mouri's Detective Agency and pushed open the door.

"I'm home!" he called out. The room was empty. "Oji-san? Ran-neechan?" No answer.

After discovering the note from Ran that she was out shopping with Sonoko and the old man was out on a case (which made Conan chuckle sarcastically), he helped himself to the cold leftovers in the refrigerator, finished off his homework in record time, and was immensely bored as he stared out at the sunset.

No phone calls from the FBI. Nothing interesting to watch on the television. Reading books momentarily lost their charm. It was a boring way to spend a Thursday afternoon. Had he been Shinichi, he could have been on a case of his own, or at least found something interesting to do that wouldn't seem suspicious at his age of "fourteen". What was worse was him going through puberty again. He hated the cracking in his voice.

He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. He could call Hattori, but dismissed it almost immediately. Would Wataru want any help on any cases? Megure-keibu wouldn't complain too much, since he was finally recognizing that Conan contributed more assistance to any case that Old Man Mouri. Miwako was probably dealing with her maternity leave, and frankly, Conan would rather admit he was Shinichi to the world than help pick out baby clothes, and it didn't matter than he was the godfather either.

Sighing, he stuffed his phone back into his pocket, got up, and left the agency. He ventured through the passersby as he walked around the streets of Beika. He was even surprised when no random scream appeared, signaling the beginning of a new case. He walked in silence, and practically nothing happened. He began to feel guilty for wishing harm on another just to relieve his own tediousness.

"Conan-kun?"

Conan tensed at the sound of his name, but immediately registered the voice and relaxed as he stuffed his hands gracefully into his pockets. "Ah! Ayumi-chan. What are you doing here?"

Ayumi approached him, still wearing her middle school uniform, but with several shopping bags tucked safely in her arms. "I could ask you the same." She stopped in front of him and smiled. "My parents won't be home until Saturday, so I was just doing some grocery shopping for dinner."

Conan nodded with understanding. "I see. Well, do you want any help with those bags?"

That surprised Ayumi. "But don't you have other things to do?"

"No. And I always have time for my friends," he added, reaching out and taking the heaviest bags into his hands. He was surprised she was able to lug them along for this long without showing any signs of discomfort. "I was just killing time since Oji-san and Ran-neechan aren't home."

Together, the two friends walked together back to Ayumi's apartment building.

"So, have you thought of anything for our project?" Ayumi asked curiously.

Conan shrugged. "Eh. Not really. But I was thinking…" his voice trailed off. "Do you think I can play the violin? Since I'm sure the rest of you won't let me sing."

Ayumi burst into giggles at the embarrassed expression on Conan's face, but it was a true fact. While he had perfect pitch, he could not carry a note to save his own life. Even Akimoto-sensei, after hearing him sing, preferred it if he didn't sing in class. She actually gave up trying to correct his tone dead habits, but praised his abilities on paper.

"That's be great!" Ayumi said encouragingly. "And since you're the best composer, you can work on the music!"

"It be easier to work on if I knew what to work with," Conan added after a thought. They finally made it to Ayumi's apartment building. "At least it's not eel on rice." Ayumi giggled some more.

Once they were in Ayumi's apartment, Conan helped Ayumi unpack the groceries and draped his uniform jacket over the first chair he saw in the living room. He even stayed to help her cook, with the years of helping Ran in the kitchen finally coming to good use. At least he wasn't making a mess of cutting vegetables anymore when he was still chibi-sized. Those days had been truly embarrassing.

And the food was very delicious.

"So, you're still pitching for that fairy tale theme, aren't you?" Conan asked, catching on to the dreamy expression on Ayumi's face and suppressing a smile at how darkly she blushed. "The closest stories I'd prefer to write at mysteries, like Mitsuhiko, but having a song to represent it in such a small time don't carry the same impact."

"I suppose it's overdone," Ayumi agreed, sounding unhappy about it. "The knight and the princess, in a castle, together, with the princess in danger and the knight coming to rescue her. I think Sonoko-oneesan wrote a play like that for her high school, remember?" Her eyes brightened.

Conan refrained from blushing. Of course he remembered. Sonoko had stuffed his up as the Knight, not knowing his lines, and almost kissed Ran, the Princess. Well, he wouldn't have minded, to be honest, but it wouldn't have done them any good, since the antidote took longer to wear off, and he ended up as Conan again. Still, he still looked upon that memory fondly. Ran had been especially beautiful in her costume.

Of course, a murder had to turn up and interrupt it, along with Hattori disguised as him, but that was another story.

Conan finished off his plate and immediately washed it. "Yeah, I remember. It was clichéd and predictable." Typical of Sonoko.

Ayumi deadpanned. '_Boys_…' Then a thought caught up to her. "Then, ours won't be clichéd and predictable!"

"Eh?" Conan turned around to find his jacket stuffed into his arms, along with a bento of his and Ayumi's cooking. "Wha—?"

"I have an idea!" she said eagerly. "I'll tell you tomorrow!"

"Ah-ah!" Conan let out a string of alarmed mumbles as she shoved him towards the doorway. "_Ch_-_Chottomatte_!"

"I want it to be a surprise!" She stopped pushing him and clasped her hands together, giving him the puppy dog eyes to boot. "Please?"

There was no resisting those eyes. Ayumi, Ran, and his mother were the only ones who could use that to melt him down, and after Miwako and Wataru had their daughter, that baby girl added to the list.

"Fine," he said, putting on his shoes and jacket. "Thanks for dinner, and the bento."

"You're welcome," Ayumi said, pleased as he left her apartment, and shutting the door behind him. She tiptoed to peek through the peephole in her door, and once she was sure he was gone, she inhaled and leaned her back against the door, releasing the bundle of nerves around her shoulders. "See you tomorrow, Conan-kun."

She hoped he wouldn't find her idea too silly.

**~o~*~0~*~o~**

Ayumi had spent three entire hours writing and re-writing her idea down on paper. The first draft had been embarrassing at most, and she had torn it up the minute she read it over. She was grateful that her parents were out of town until the weekend; otherwise, her mother would have had a fit about the condition of her room, especially the ripped and crumbled sheets of paper scattered all over the floor.

She wasn't satisfied with the final draft of it, and though she was sure that the group might not want to work with it, there was a chance that they would, and they could help improve it. She kept the draft in a neat manila folder, tucked safely away in the backpack as she hurried off to school the next morning, a sense of insecurity and hope milling around in her chest. She might of put too much of her heart into it, looking back on it. She could just say she had no concepts, but then she remembered that she practically announced to Conan that she had an idea to share.

Damn her eagerness.

She took her usual seat next to Mitsuhiko, greeting both him and Genta and waiting with impatiently for Conan and Haibara to arrive. Those two always came to school together, rather than with the whole group, and sometimes that worried Ayumi. It had been one of the reasons that she casted each other in a particular way, not just out of her own insecurity, but because of her own suspicions.

"Morning," Conan said, yawning as he and Haibara finally entered the classroom. They took their seats next to one another, right behind Ayumi and Mitsuhiko, Haibara looking as haughty and beautiful as ever, and Conan yawning with the faintest of circles under his eyes.

"What's up?" Genta asked curiously.

"A-A case," Conan said, with another long yawn. "Ran-neechan asked me to pick up Kogoro-no-oji-san from his gambling buddies and there was a murder in the building next door. We didn't get home until passed midnight, and Ran-neechan chewed us out again."

Ah, that. It seemed that where Conan or Kogoro Mouri went, a murder was bound to turn up.

"The Sleeping Kogoro failed again, I presume?" Haibara asked, fishing out her magazine from her bag.

"_Hai_. I had to pull out all the stops with Wataru-san's help." Conan took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Miwako-san wasn't pleased either. Now I have to babysit Manami-chan for the whole week."

Ayumi smiled at the tone of Conan's voice; his words indicated that he was annoyed with this decision, but his voice and eyes told a different story. Ayumi and the rest of the Detective Boys never understood why Takagi and Sato had chosen Conan of all people to be the godfather of their daughter, especially at his age. She never knew them to be that close, but she suspected it had something with do with Jodie-sensei and her FBI friends, because Conan eventually started referring to those two by their first name, even during cases, and Miwako had even decided to fondly call him "Conan-chan" whenever he was around Manami, with irked him to no end.

And it was clear to everyone how much he doted on Manami Takagi, no matter how much of a handful she was, just like her mother. Conan was wonderful with her, and the thought of Conan and babies had Ayumi blushing down to her toes. Only Haibara noticed, but refrained from speaking.

As the class settled in and day went on from class to class, Ayumi felt more anxious in her seat. She never brought up their assignment (well, neither did they), and she knew that she'd have to say it eventually. But as they went from Mathematics to English Language class, her nerve slowly sank down into the seat, as quiet as a mouse.

Time ran out too quickly, and before she knew it, they were all leaving the school compound. As tradition on a Friday afternoon, they went straight to Hakase's, groaning over their English homework. Well, Genta was, since he was the worst at English, and Haibara and Conan were the best, having both lived in America before they'd all met.

"Hakase, we're—" Haibara began, opening the door, only to be greeting by an odd sight. "Home," she finished. "What are you three doing?"

The Detective Boys began to snicker as Suburu Okiya and Masumi Sera froze in the struggle to free Agasa-hakase from an appalling number of leather belts, some sort of greenish goo, upon which a deflated soccer ball had stuck itself to the side of his head. The old man chuckled sheepishly as Sera slipped in the goo and fell flat on the ground.

"Ah, good afternoon," Suburu said politely, though it was clear that he too was embarrassed. His jacket was discarded on the couch, but his trousers and turtleneck sweater were covered in the green goo, and his glasses were lopsided.

"How is this afternoon good?" Sera grumbled as she struggled to stand again, with the green goo plastered all over her clothes and her short, wild hair. "Hakase, what did you make this with? And why did you make it?"

Agasa-hakase wilted under the weathering glare from his ward and sighed. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"At. The. Time," Haibara repeated, deadpanned. The professor bowed his head in shame.

After an hour or struggling, cursing, and breaking out a few power tools, Agasa-hakase was finally free of his green goo prison, which was started off as glue and finished as cement. They the time they were finished, everyone was plastered in the green solution the professor had concocted, for another of his Conan's gadgets, where the solution would remain concealed in the temporary soccer ball, which would explode and cover the culprit in the goo and keep them from escaping.

And apparently, he miscalculated how much was needed.

"Hakase," Conan said once he'd scrubbed off a majority of the goo from his skin, having changed into some of "Shinichi-niichan's" old clothes from next door. "I appreciate the concept, but I think that might be too much to handle, especially when the police need to take the culprit in. They would get stuck in the police car."

"It's supposed to dry fast," Hakase mumbled, but a sharply pointed stare from Haibara cut the final deal. The idea was a dud.

"It'll take forever to get this all out," Sera sighed and sat down next to Conan, slinging an arm around his shoulder while she prodded at her hair. "And I wreak of burned plastic."

"What were you doing here, anyway, Sera-no-neechan?" Conan asked, folding his arms as Suburu brought them all tea and cakes, which Genta immediately helped himself to. "I didn't think you had any business with Hakase today."

Sera smirked at him, that familiar pointed tooth poking out from the side of her mouth. "I was visiting Suburu-san when we heard the explosion. We came to find Hakase like—well, you saw it for yourself."

'_Yeah, and I'm going to have to explain to Ran why I need a new_ _uniform_,' Conan thought with a shake of his head.

"So," Agasa-hakase said loudly, trying to deter the conversation away from him. "How's your project working out? Ai-kun told me about it," he added, seeing the expressions on the Detective Boys' faces.

"Well, we're still thinking of ideas," Mitsuhiko said, taking a bite into his slice of cake.

"Why do we have to sing?" Genta grumbled.

"Because 25% of your grade depends on it," Haibara replied. "Well, I think Edogawa-kun has an exception, of course."

Everyone chuckled at Conan's disgruntled expression, which became worse when Sera messed up his hair playfully.

"Conan said he could play the violin," Ayumi spoke up, with the intentions to cheer him up. "I've only heard him play once, and he was really good."

"Really?" Genta and Mitsuhiko were interested now. "Since when?"

"Shinichi-niichan taught me," Conan said automatically. "Before we met. And I still practice every once in a while, but I don't have a violin of my own. Shinichi-niichan lets me use his own." '_Well, technically, it's mine anyway_.'

"So that's why it's always so finely tuned?" Suburu asked with calm interested, his glasses flashing in the light as a faint smirk crossed his face. "I had wondered…"

Sera grinned as poked Conan in his side. "Well, go on, Conan-kun let's hear it."

"Eh?"

"Let's hear you play!" Ayumi said encouragingly, having completely forgotten about her own little script. "You can play for the performance while we sing. And you said you use Shinichi-oniisan's violin, so it won't be a problem, right?"

"But—" There came the puppy dog eyes. "_Oi, oi,_ that's not fair!" The eyes remained. Conan sighed and rose from his seat. "Alright, fine."

It didn't take long for Conan to run back to his house and collect the violin from the library, the last place he had left it. Carrying with gentle reverence, he hurried back over to Agasa-hakase's house, where he found a blushing Ayumi handing over a manila folder to Haibara. Raising an eyebrow, he cleared his throat as he removed his violin from its case.

"Wow," Mitsuhiko said, staring at its gleaming surface as Conan gently ran his finger on the strings and checking its tuning. "That's Shinichi-san's violin?"

"_Hai_." A hint of pride taking over inside him, Conan positioned the violin between his chin and shoulder, and carefully drew the bow across the strings, creating a smooth, high note that cast a spell of silence over everyone. Closing his eyes, he led his hands do their work as he played one of his favorites, _Amazing_ _Grace_, which brought back memories that he cherished dearly.

They all watched him in awe as they listened to every mesmerizing stroke of the song. For someone who couldn't sing, he was an amazing violinist, and every note hit perfectly, in pace and composition. They were as lost in the song as he was. Ayumi's eyes trailed over his hands to the serene smile on his face, where light reflected off the lens of his glasses. The afternoon sun bathed him in warm light through the open window, and for a moment, it was as though an angel stood before them, playing God's hymn on that violin.

She was content just to see him so comfortable and happy that a new warmth bloomed up inside her, washing away her fears and insecurity. There was something there, so pure and blissful, a word she could not find to describe how he made her feel in this moment, but it was clearly the inspiration behind every movement, every stroke, and every smile that he gave. Tears peeked through the corners of her eyes as the music strengthened, filling her ears with only sweetness that moved her soul. She was gratified to see that she was not the only one crying, but she knew Hakase would not want to be identified for it.

Ayumi was saddened when the song finally ended. Its transcendent spell slowly melted away as Conan concluded his performance, carefully removing the violin from its place on his shoulder and fondly resting it back in its case, along with the bow. But she broke into enthusiastic applause with everyone else, beaming as Conan turned red and shyly accepted their praise.

"That settles it!" Genta declared excitedly. "He's playing the violin!"

There were no arguments after that, and Conan's praise eventually died away as Suburu and Sera helped Agasa prepare more snacks for the Detective Boys, who finally settled their attentions upon the folder Ayumi had brought with her. Her insecurity welled up again as she compared her idea to Conan's performance earlier, and she felt that it paled in comparison.

She almost covered her face as Haibara read it over, her expression still and baring no clue as to her thoughts or feelings. When she looked away, she remarked, "It's unfinished."

Ayumi blushed. "I ran out of good ideas toward the end," she said in a low voice, twiddling her hands together and almost ripping her fingers from her hands as Conan lifted the paper out of Haibara's lap and close read it over. "I—I, um…"

Like Haibara, Conan's face never betrayed his thoughts. He read it over once more before handing it to Mitsuhiko, causing Ayumi to blush deeper. "It's good, Ayumi-chan," he acknowledged as he sat back down in his seat. "There are a few plot holes, admittedly, but the concept is actually very good. The setting is open to realism, though I think you might want to change one of the names." He glanced towards Haibara, whose face was stonier than usual.

Ayumi frowned with worry. "Which one?" she asked hesitantly.

"The servant girl, Akemi," Conan said carefully, pretending not to notice when Haibara twitched around in her seat. "It… doesn't seem to suit her."

"What do you suggest?"

"Hmm." Conan folded his arms and thought about it for a while. "How about Hanako?"

It was a decent change. Ayumi avoided looking at Genta and Mitsuhiko while they read the script over, and while she could understand their hesitance over it, they too seemed impressed with it.

"Sort of political, isn't it?" Mitsuhiko commented as he handed the folder back to Ayumi. "I think we can work with that."

"Yeah," Genta added, forlorn. Mitsuhiko jabbed him with his elbow. "I mean, yeah!" he repeated, sounding more cheerful. Ayumi hid a smile behind the folder as she caught onto that sarcastic, dopey expression on Conan's face, the one he got when someone said something or did something ironically amusing.

"I think we can work on the dialogue," Haibara insisted, approaching one of the many desks in the room and returning with pens and paper. "And as Edogawa-kun said, work on plot holes."

"So, we're going with my idea?" Ayumi asked hopefully. Most of the ideas they went with for group projects were from Mitsuhiko or Haibara these days.

Conan smiled at her. "Of course. It would be a shame if we didn't."

If anything, that comment made Ayumi that happiest of all. No mind that it was a lot of work to do for another month, along with various other pieces of homework and chores. They all crowded around the table, inspecting the roles Ayumi had given them and working on them individually to give them more character and add substance to the plot. Sure, their time limit was only twenty minutes, but they'd make it work.

And as Ayumi thought more about what she wanted for her role as Akemi—Hanako, now, the more she realized how much she wanted to be the character that she'd made for Haibara, the lovely protagonist who loved someone she shouldn't have.

* * *

**Translations**

**\- Chottomatte (Wait a moment)**

**To understand Conan and the violin, well, Shinichi loves the violin because it's what Sherlock Holmes played, and the movie "Full Score of Fear" kind of emphasizes on his lack of singing abilities, but also emphasizes on his ability for registering perfect pitch and playing the violin.**

**Akemi is also the name of Haibara's sister. Ayumi wouldn't know that, but it would hit a soft spot for the poor girl.**

**This was just one half of the story. In my opinion, it was getting to long to handle, so I just broke it into two parts. It's not much, but it's fun to work with. I've also decided to move the story from 20 shots to 30, so most of them are still one shots, but as you can see, not all of them.**

—**MELPOMENE-THE-TRAGIC-PARODY, signing out.**


End file.
